Detachable writing surface for director{40 s chair

ABSTRACT

A writing board carries two members of L-shaped cross section that define a channel for accommodating the arm of a director&#39;&#39;s chair with the space between the two members accommodating a vertical post of the chair.

United States Patent [1 1 Bakanowsky [4 1 Aug. 7, 1973 [54] DETACHABLE WRITING SURFACE FOR 1,270,029 6/1918 Heulc et al. 297/153 DIRECTOR'S CHAIR 2,199,689 5/1940 Boogaard et a1, 297/422 3,586,368 6/1971 Guild 297/153 Inventor: Louis J. Bakanowsky, Lexington,

Mass.

Cambridge Seven Associates, Inc, Cambridge, Mass.

Filed: May 7, 1971 Appl. No.: 141,154

Assignee:

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1920 Keating 297/411 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 523,137 4/1955 Italy 297/160 Primary Examiner-Francis K. Zugel Assistant Examiner-Garry Moore Attorney-Charles Hieken [5 7] ABSTRACT A writing board carries two members of L-shaped cross section that define a channel for accommodating the arm of a directors chair with the space between the two members accommodating a vertical post of the chair.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENIED AUG 7975 4 G n TiiliilllllL 2 6 I F w w a I I I I I I I I I I l I IIIIL IIII T i A INVENTOR.

LOUIS J. BAKANOWSKY hwy ATTORNEY DETACHABLE WRITING SURFACE FOR DIRECTOR'S CHAIR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates in general to writing surfaces and more particularly concerns a novel writing surface that may be conveniently attached to either arm of a director's chair or be supported by both arms of a directors chair to provide a convenient writing surface to right handers, left handers or to those who like to write on a surface directly before them.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a convenient writing surface that may be detachably secured to a directors chair.

It is a further object of the invention to achieve the preceding object with a surface that may be conveniently attached to either arm of a directors chair.

It is still a further object F the invention to achieve one or more of the preceding objects with a writing surface that may be conveniently supported by the directors chair directly before the person seated in the chair.

It is a further object of the invention to achieve one or more of the preceding objects with apparatus that is relatively easy andinexpensive to fabricate.

It is a further object of the invention to achieve one or more of the preceding objects with a writing surface that is easy to remove and attach.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention, there is means defining a planar surface characterized by a length and a width. The latter means includes depending means for accommodating the arm of a director's chair of conventional type having arms of width greater than the diameter of the vertical post, that supports the arm and formed with a lengthwise slot at the bottom for accommodating the vertical post that supports the arm. preferably this means is located nearer to one lengthwise edge than the other and preferably extends for slightly less than the length of the planar writing surface and less than the separation between left and rght arms.

Numerous other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a view of the invention attached to the right arm of a directors chair;

FIGS. 2-4 are plan, elevation and side views, respectively, of a preferred embodiment of the invention; and

Referring now to FIGS. 2-4, there is shown plan, elevation and side views of a preferred embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment the entire structure according to the invention is a single extrusion and includes depending means defining a channel 13 for accommodating a chair arm. This channel defining meanS includes L-shaped portions 14 and 15 having normally vertical stems comprising sidewall portions generally perpendicular to writing surface 11 and normally horizontal caps comprising bottomwall portions generally parallel to writing surface 11 and separated by a slot 16 through which a vertical post 17 that supports the arm may pass. The width of slot 16 is slightly greater than the diameter of vertical post 17 and less than the separation between the sidewalls of L-shaped portions 14 and 15. The latter separation is slightly greater than the width of an arm of directors chair 10. By locating the channel defining means asymmetrically with respect to the center line of writing surface I l, the surface may be positioned so that its major portion is inside or outside the arm, depending upon the preference of the user. Furthermore, by making the length correspond substantially to the distance between the arms and having a portion of writing surface 11 extend beyond the length of the channel defining means, the latter portions may rest on the arms while the channel defining means coacts with the arms to help prevent the writing surface from sliding off to the right or the left. Preferably the latter end portions that are free from the channel defining means have a dimension along the length of the writing dimension of the writing. surface 11 that corresponds substantially to the width of the chair arms, or extends slightly beyond to maximize the support provided by the arms when the writing surface is positioned between the two arms.

Preferably the corners are rounded as shown to help prevent injuries. Although the writing surface according to the invention is easy to insert and remove, it pro- FIG. 5 is an end view of an alternate embodiment of the invention comprising an extrusion and flat plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS vides a relatively sturdy and firm writing surface when attached.

Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown another embodiment of the invention in which the writing surface comprises a flat plate 21 and an attached extrusion 22 having L-shaped portions 15' and 14 defining channel 13' with longitudinal slot 16' between. This embodiment of the invention is especially useful where it may be de sired to make surface 21 of nonextrudable material, such as hardwood, while channel defining means 22 may be extruded from plastic or other suitable material.

Representative dimensions of an actual embodiment of the invention are overall length 23 inches, length of the channel defining means 19 inches, overall width l 1.5 inches, channel width 2.25 inches, channel height 0.75 inches, slot 16 width 0.88 inches commencing 0.25 inch from the vertical wall of L shaped portion 14,.

all thicknesses being 0.25 inches.

There has been described a novel writing surface that economically converts an inexpensive directors chair into a useful desk that provides great versatility in that it may be used by right hand'ers, left handers or as a writing surface directly in front of the user. It is evident that those skilled in the art may now make numerous uses and modifications of and departures from the specific embodiments described herein without departing from the inventive concepts. Consequently, the invention is to be construed as embracing each and every novel feature and novel combination of features present in or possessed by the apparatus and techniques herein disclosed. a I

What is claimed is:

1. Writing apparatus detachably secured to a conventional directors chair of the type having arms of width greater than the diameter of the vertical posts that supports the arms, comprising,

means defining a flat plate of length of the order of that of said arms and of width much greater than that of said arms having a depending channel defining means parallel to its length,

said channel defining means being formed with a slot in its bottom for accommodating one of said arms and one of said vertical posts with the width of said channel slightly greater than that of each of said arms and the width of said slot slightly greater than the width of each of said vertical posts,

said channel defining means including a pair of L- shaped portions separated by said slot having normally vertical stems comprising sidewall portions generally perpendicular to said flat plate and normally horizontal caps comprising bottomwall portions generally parallel to said plate and separated by said slot,

the width of said slot being slightly greater than the diameter of said vertical posts and less than the separation between said sidewall portions,

the separation between said sidewall portions being slightly greater than the width of each of said arms.

2. Writing apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said channel defining means is asymmetrically located relative to the center line of said apparatus.

3. Writing apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said slot extends for the full length of said channel defining means. v

4. Writing apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the length of said channel defining means is less than the length of said apparatus and slightly less than the separation between said arms.

5. Writing apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein one of said arms is inside said channel and a corresponding one of said vertical posts passes through said slot.

6. Writing apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein said channel defining means is asymmetrically located relative to the center line of said apparatus.

7. Writing apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein said slot extends for the full length of said channel defining means.

8. Writing apparatus in accordance with claim 7 wherein said apparatus is a unitary structure.

9. Writing apparatus in accordance with claim 7 wherein said channel defining means is a separate piece attached to said flat plate.

10. Writing apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein the ends of said fiat plate rest upon respective ones of said arms with said channel defining means separating and substantially in the plane of said arms to provide a writing surface between the arms of said directorchair. 

1. Writing apparatus detachably secured to a conventional director''s chair of the type having arms of width greater than the diameter of the vertical posts that supports the arms, comprising, means defining a flat plate of length of the order of that of said arms and of width much greater than that of said arms having a depending channel defining means parallel to its length, said chanNel defining means being formed with a slot in its bottom for accommodating one of said arms and one of said vertical posts with the width of said channel slightly greater than that of each of said arms and the width of said slot slightly greater than the width of each of said vertical posts, said channel defining means including a pair of L-shaped portions separated by said slot having normally vertical stems comprising sidewall portions generally perpendicular to said flat plate and normally horizontal caps comprising bottomwall portions generally parallel to said plate and separated by said slot, the width of said slot being slightly greater than the diameter of said vertical posts and less than the separation between said sidewall portions, the separation between said sidewall portions being slightly greater than the width of each of said arms.
 2. Writing apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said channel defining means is asymmetrically located relative to the center line of said apparatus.
 3. Writing apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said slot extends for the full length of said channel defining means.
 4. Writing apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the length of said channel defining means is less than the length of said apparatus and slightly less than the separation between said arms.
 5. Writing apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein one of said arms is inside said channel and a corresponding one of said vertical posts passes through said slot.
 6. Writing apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein said channel defining means is asymmetrically located relative to the center line of said apparatus.
 7. Writing apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein said slot extends for the full length of said channel defining means.
 8. Writing apparatus in accordance with claim 7 wherein said apparatus is a unitary structure.
 9. Writing apparatus in accordance with claim 7 wherein said channel defining means is a separate piece attached to said flat plate.
 10. Writing apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein the ends of said flat plate rest upon respective ones of said arms with said channel defining means separating and substantially in the plane of said arms to provide a writing surface between the arms of said director''chair. 